🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <Bs5tsH.6xE@news.cso.uiuc.edu> berger@atropa (Mike Berger) writes:
>ron@vicorp.com (Ron Peterson) writes:
>>Would someone please tell me how to do a low level format on a
>>harddrive under DOS3.3?  The machine is some sort of 486 I think 
>>(no labels!) which we normally run Unix on but which can be booted 
>>as a DOS machine (which no one here knows anything about.)  
>>The drive is a Quantum 105S.  I think the drive is trashed but
>>want to try a low level format to be sure.
>>ron@vicorp.com or uunet!vicorp!ron

Actually, MS-DOS as released by Microsoft does not and has never
contained a low-level format routine. Some hardware manufacturers
added in low-level format utilities [either to their licensed 
release of MS-DOS or on a 'utilities' disk] but Microsoft's never
released a low-level formatter.

>helpful.  Start with the diagnostics that came with your
>SCSI controller.
>--
>	Mike Berger

Excellent advice.

Oh: many people pop up with "debug will low-level" -> NO, it doesn't.
If your controller manufacturer built the low-level routine into the
ROM, the controller docs will often instruct you to start the low-level
using debug's G command. The G command tells debug to execute whatever
code happens to be at the address you specify; kind of like how command.com
will load and run win.com when you type "win"<enter>. Doesn't mean windows
is built into DOS...

-jen
Ms Dos Enduser Support, don't it show :-)
Do remember, tho, that microsoft is paying me to answer the phone, not post...


>	Internet    berger@atropa.stat.uiuc.edu